This is a beauty of a machine. I was drawn to it--despite the dust, grunge, and spider webs--because it seemed so solid. When I did some research and discovered that it was 130 or so years old (c.1878), I was even more impressed.
The Household sewing machine was manufactured by the Providence Tool Co. of Providence, RI. Some interesting information about the company history here.
The top opens out at left with a very sturdy extension.
The feature that caught my eye first at the antique shop was the beautiful rest for the leaf tension plate... followed by the delicate grape-leaf decals.
The shield (inspection plate, for oiling) at top of the pillar bears the initials of the Household Sewing Machine Co.:
The sides of the irons, as well as the drawer brasses, also bear the Household name:
However, the front slide plate and the treadle (pedal) bear the Providence Tool Co. name:
The treadle is unusual in its construction. Rather than the cone-bearing configuration that is common in Singer irons, Providence cast two triangular pegs into the ends of the treadle (note that in this picture the treadle is upside-down):
These, in turn, fit into two brackets that were installed on the bar across the bottom (note the "V" shaped groove at center bottom):
Thus the treadle could be adjusted forward or backward to suit the user's comfort.
This machine is serial #70281, a fairly early machine.
In their advertisements, Providence said of the Household that it was very fast, which made it an excellent choice for industry; time being money, after all. I'm a believer! This machine treadles faster than any I've ever used, and that's quite a few. And it's stable even at high speeds, unlike many other VS (vibrating shuttle) machines.
The decals on the back are quite pretty, too.
Providence advertised that their machines came with a full complement of attachments; this one still had a fair number, including three brass binders, a narrow-hem foot, and a brass ruffler (stamped "Johnston Ruffler Co., Ottumwa, IA"). The bobbins are 1-1/4" long, versus Singer's standard 1-1/8", which supports Providence's claim that their bobbins held more thread than other machines.
The shuttle does not have a through-slit to the top, but instead must be threaded through a hole. Again, different from most others.
Underneath, you can see the odd-shaped cut-out in the cabinet top, to accommodate the "fiddle" shaped bed. The machine is held in the cabinet by that center-back bar, and rests (where the hingepins would be in another type of machine) in two metal cups inset into the table top, on protrusions at the back of the machine.
Once set into the cut-out, the machine is secured to the table by means of a substantial latch on the underside:
I'm rather attached to this machine at the moment... but as with all my "stuff," it's just stuff, and if you need it more than I do, I'm willing to talk.